CAST:
Sylvia Syms - Amos Klein
Justine Lord - Galaxy Rose
Kenneth J. Warren - Warlock
Philip Locke - Frug
Tom Clegg - Monk
Nicholas Smith - Bishop
Roy Hanlon - Nero Jones
Caron Gardner - Carol Henley
Peter Ashmore - Finlay-Hugoson
Frank Maher - Rip Savage
Graham Armitage - Carson
Lila Kaye - Ma
Joe Gibbons - Pa
Anthony Blackshaw - Morgan
Roy Boyd - McCord
Shaun Curry - Guard, Gamekeeper
Vincent Harding - 1st Guard
Richard Franklin - 2nd Guard
Ralph Ball - Photographer
Oswald Laurence - Reporter
David Rendall - Reporter
Richard Davies - Reporter
Ian Kingly - Reporter

Directed by Roy Baker; Screenplay & Story by John Kruse; Additional Scenes & Dialogue by Harry W. Junkin (pdf Screenplay and Dialogue Continuity Script on Umbrella DVD)

STORY:
Hermetico is an high security complex for valuable objects located in Wales. Because it seems impossible to break in a gangster devises an ingenious plan: let the author of famous crime novels find a way! He therefore builds a crime organization after the model of SWORD from the books and names himself Warlock.
When Templar goes to visit Klein (who is in reality a woman) both get kidnapped. The Saint is mistaken for Amos Klein and now has to think about a plan to break into Hermetico.
A synopsis with pictures on Volcano Seven

OPINION: Just as John Kruse mentions below, this episode is unfortunately more of comedy version of The Saint.

NOTES:
* Sylvia Syms also appears in Episodes #29 "The Noble Sportsman", #42 "Jeaninne" and #99 "The Best Laid Schemes"
* Justine Lord also appears in Episodes #23 "The Saint Plays With Fire", #26 "The Bunco Artists", #45 "The Saint Steps In", #49 "The Imprudent Politician" and #63 "The Chequered Flag"
* Kenneth J. Warren also appears in Episode #112 "Where the Money Is". He also appears in the episode "The Old, the New and the Deadly" of The Persuaders
* Caron Gardner also appears in Episodes #39 "The Saint Sees it through" and #96 "The Power Artists"
* Frank Maher also appears in Episode #82 "Paper Chase"
* Anthony Blackshaw also appears in Episode #107 "The House on Dragon's Rock"
* Was also shown in theatres across Europe and as TV films in the US.
*  If the person of Amos Klein is meant to be a secret - why does she freely admit it to Templar - without even knowing who he is? (0:12)
*  The background is just a painting of the landscape. (0:32)
*  The Hermetico complex is just a matte painting. (0:33)
*  The old trick: the long corridor is a painting. (0:70)
*  This is supposed to be a infrared beam - but it seems to be just a red rod. (0:75)
*  Check the text to the right - it refers to director Roy Baker and his film "Queen's Ransom" - which actually is Episode #72 "The Queen's Ransom", directed by none other than Roy Ward Baker, the director of this movie! (0:77)
*  A little bit nitpicking: Warlock's men use telescope technique for the length - but how did they know the width of it? (0:94)
* Commentary with Director Roy Ward Baker and Production Supervisor Peter Manley on the network DVD

Leslie Charteris: <<"The Fiction Makers" fulfills all the promise of the synopsis, and the dialogue has a crisp sparkle which has all too often been lacking in other scripts. [...] But it is simply a splendid job. I hope there will be a lot more scripts like this.>> (Barer, p.136)

John Kruse: <<... I was a little disappointed at the way it was filmed. I felt they made it too jokey. The Americans would have played the heavies straight while they were trying to be funny - sort of buffoonery - and that took all the tension out of it and spoiled it. [...]
The Fiction-Makers was composed in the way that I most like to compose a story. I had two ideas - nothing whatsoever to do with each other - both of which I very much liked, and suddenly I saw a way to put them together. When that happens you have a very firm basis for a story.>> (Simper, p.40)

John Kruse about Junkin's "additional scenes": <<I never quite discovered [...] what the hell he added to The Fiction-Makers.>> (Simper, p.38)

Roy Ward Baker: <<It was very ambitious in its production values and, I'm afraid, was far too rushed. It was shot in about 18 days. There really wasn't time to think and the coverage [...] wasn't as full as it should have been. [...]
Quite honestly, I don't think I did a particularly good job on that one. I don't think I brought out the satirical line at all well. To me it looked like an imitation Bond picture rather than a send-up. But there was also always a limit as to how far you could do a send-up in The Saint series. [...]
But certainly the original idea in John Kruse's script was extremely good. I don't think the cast was as good as it could have been. There were one or two deficiencies. Not enough personality.>> (Simper, p.52)

AIRDATES:
UK: 8th and 15th December 1968

GERMAN TITLE:
Hermetico - Die unsichtbare Region

AVAILABLE ON:
* VHS (PAL): PolyGram 0547363 (1997)
* DVD (NTSC): AAE-70469 (2002)
* DVD (PAL): network 7952473g (2006)